Chapter 172: Ch 171: Who’s at fault

"Anjou, I would like to visit my brother. Do you think you can arrange that?"

Lady Marsha asked, having recovered from the spell he had cast on her during the night. He was close to completing his control over her, but there were still windows during which she remained in control of herself.

But this wouldn’t last for long as his spell gained more and more power. First, however, he needed to make sure she stayed away from both her brother and Grand Master Kael.

"I am not sure that it is such a good idea for you to visit your brother right now. Grand Master Kael already promised to help him, so we should wait and allow him to work."

He reasoned, trying his best to make his mistress look away from the current problem she was fixated on.

Marsha looked unsure, but she had long been under his control. Even if she had doubts, she wouldn’t say anything and simply continued to smile.

"Alright. I will leave it all to you and Grand Master Kael...I hope he can bring my brother back soon."

Anjou nodded, showing his support for his lady. But behind his warm smile lay a sinister sneer.

’This bitch is ruining everything for me. First, she brings in Grand Master Kael, and now she wants to help her brother? How can she repay me like this? I should have killed her when I first came here.’

Anjou had mistaken Marsha for a useless child with no ambitions and had decided to use her. Now, it was a decision he regretted.

But there was no need to worry. Whether Marsha interfered or not, the end result was already set in stone.

__________

"What is our plan now? Do we even have one? I...did you ever tell me who you were?"

Gladion had a lot to say once he was no longer trapped in his chambers. He also seemed much more relaxed and talkative now that he no longer had to worry about being held captive.

Kael allowed him to chatter, but instead of replying, he continued to think about his options. It suited Gladion just fine because he did not seem to be looking for an answer.

Gladion did, however, tense up as soon as he saw servants heading in their direction.

"Hey, we should hide. Otherwise, we’ll be found."

He hissed, and Kael finally looked up, only for the servants to pass by them without even noticing them.

"It is fine. My magic will prevent anyone from noticing us. We should start by searching for the missing artifact. I will cast a spell to track it down now."

Kael told Gladion before allowing his power to flow freely. He had kept the empty box in his personal storage, and he took it out. The box shook before it started to move.

"We need to hurry. We will find the culprit if we follow this box."

Kael told Gladion, and he nodded before following.

The box led them up the stairs and toward the wing where the main family lived. It passed the first few doors before dropping in front of a guest room.

"A guest room? Why would an heirloom end up here?"

Gladion questioned, and instead of answering him, Kael pushed the door open.

The guest room turned out to be occupied, but its owner was currently out. Kael tried to track the artifact once more, but it was no longer here.

Moreover, the pressure inside the room made it uncomfortable for him to keep his magic active.

He could endure it, but Gladion clearly could not.

"The artifact is no longer here. The person who took it must have known we were coming."

Which narrowed the list of suspects significantly.

In fact, Kael was sure there was only one person who could have done that.

He turned around, wanting to tell Gladion that it was time to leave, only to find that they were no longer alone. A small group had gathered outside the guest room, looking inside.

The crowd slowly parted, revealing Marsha, Anjou, and the current master of the house, all staring inside with startled expressions.

"GLADION! What are you doing here? How did you get out of your imprisonment? Who helped you?"

"Sir, please calm down. I am sure Young Master Gladion knows he made a mistake and will return to his room-"

Anjou started to speak when Kael decided to reveal himself as well. Everyone gasped as he appeared out of thin air with the artifact’s box in his hand.

"Hmm, how strange. The spell tells me that the artifact is nearby and currently in use. Do any of you know anything about it?"

Kael asked, ignoring the questioning—and shocked—expressions directed at him.

Gladion’s father looked even angrier now, and he turned his rage toward Kael.

"And who are you supposed to be? Are you the thief who stole my artifact?"

He asked, causing Kael to sigh and shake his head.

"You could say that I was hired to help. As for your artifact...I’m here to retrieve it for you. See? I even managed to locate it."

Kael took a step toward Anjou, and the butler instinctively took one back, suddenly looking nervous.

"What do you mean by that accusation, Grand Master Kael? And why are you stepping toward me?"

"Don’t worry. You know exactly why I’m stepping toward you. But if you surrender now, I will spare you."

He promised, and Anjou paused. For a second, it almost looked as if he would give in before he snapped his fingers.

All the servants, along with Marsha and her father, stepped into his path with blank expressions.

"What the-"

Gladion questioned in shock.

But Kael easily snapped them all out of their daze as he headed after Anjou. It was finally time to bring this chase to an end...

Or so he had planned. But a sudden surge of magic forced Kael to raise a barrier to protect himself, giving Anjou enough time to escape—for now.